Data center with cooling system

ABSTRACT

Data center includes a first container and a second container containing data racks therein. The first container includes an air intake for inputting outside cooling air into the first container. The second container contacts the first container via a base between the first container and the second container. The base defines a cooling air passage and heated air passage both communicating the first container and the second container. The cooling air passage inputs cooling air from the first container to the second container. The heated air passage inputs heated air from the second container to the first container.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to data centers, and more particularly toa data center with cooling system.

BACKGROUND

The advent of cloud computing and virtualization and other newtechnologies make data center evolved into a very different environment.A data center includes data center equipment such as servers, storageand networking equipment. Temperature and moisture are two importantenvironment factors which impact operating performance of the datacenter equipment.

When the data center equipment works, they generate a lot of heat. Theheat must be removed rapidly, otherwise, the heat accommodated in thedata center produces high temperature of the data center equipment,which results in unstable working performance of the data centerequipment. Typically, the data center applies a cooling system tointroduce outside air to directly cool the data center equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The FIGURE is a schematic side view of a data center with cooling systemin accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following disclosure the term “couple” is defined as connect,whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and isnot necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can besuch that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected.

Referring to the FIGURE, a data center in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment is shown. The data center can be a container data centerwhich is one type of the data center. The container data center includesa first container 100 and a second container 200 under the firstcontainer 100. In this embodiment, the first container 100 is stacked onand contacts the second container 200 directly.

The first container 100 can be a standard container. An insulation layer(not labeled) with a suitable thickness can be positioned on an innerface of the first container 100. The first container 100 includes aceiling 102, a first sidewall 103 a and a second sidewall 103 b oppositeto the first sidewall 103 a. A base 101 is located between the firstcontainer 100 and the second container 200 and coupling the firstsidewall 103 a and the second sidewall 103 b. The base 101 is oppositeand substantially parallel to the ceiling 102 which also couples thefirst sidewall 103 a and the second sidewall 103 b. The first sidewall103 a defines a first air intake. In this embodiment, a first air flowcontrol device 110 is arranged at the first air intake for inputting andcontrolling outside air into the first container 100. A dust filter cancover an air inlet of the first flow control device 110.

In this embodiment, a first baffle plate 104 extending upwards from thebase 101, a gap is left between the ceiling 102 and the first baffleplate 104. The first baffle plate 104 can be made of heat insulatingmaterial. A first air mixing member 130 is received in the gap andlocated between the ceiling 102 and the first baffle plate 104. Thefirst air mixing member 130 can be vertically positioned. The first airmixing member 130 can include one or a plurality of porous plate(s). Theporous plate can be a steel plate with a plurality of holes spacing fromeach other in certain interval. The porous plate also can be a steelwire gauze. The first baffle plate 104 and the first air mixing member130 cooperatively divide the first container 100 into a first room 105and a second room 106.

The first room 105 is located between the first baffle plate 104, theair mixing member 130 and the first sidewall 103 a. The second room 106is located between the first baffle plate 104, the first air mixingmember 130 and the second sidewall 103 b. A dew drain structure 140 islocated under the first air intake in the first room 105. The base 101forms an air input window 107 and an air exhaust 108 spaced from the airinput window 107. The air input window 107 can locate in the first room105. The air exhaust 108 can be located in the second room 106. Thefirst room 105 communicates with the first air intake and the air inputwindow 107. The second room 106 communicates with the air exhaust 108. Asecond air mixing member 160 is located in the second room 106. Thesecond mixing member 160 can extend from the second sidewall 103 btowards the first baffle plate 104. The second air mixing member 160 canbe horizontally positioned. The second air mixing member 160 can includeone or more porous plate(s). The porous plate can be a steel plate witha plurality of holes spaced from each other in a predetermined interval.The porous plate also can be a steel wire gauze. In this embodiment, anair driving device 150 can be arranged at the air exhaust 108 in thesecond room 106, the air driving device 150 can include one or aplurality of fan(s)/blower(s).

The first sidewall 103 a of the first container 100 further defines anair outlet above the first air intake. An exhaust air driving device 120can be positioned at the air outlet. The exhaust air driving device 120can be located in the first room 105. The exhaust air driving device 160can include one or a plurality of fan(s)/blower(s). A second air flowcontrol device 170 can be arranged at an air outlet of the exhaust airdriving device 120 for outputting and controlling volume of air from thefirst room 105 to ambient air. The second air flow control device 170can further be attached with an exhaust air duct 180 at an air exhaustthereof. The exhaust air duct 180 has an air outlet thereof facingupwards, for keeping the air from the first room 105 be dissipatedupwards.

The second container 200 can be a standard container, and contains aplurality of data racks 230 therein. An insulation layer (not shown)with a suitable thickness can be positioned on an inner face of thesecond container 200. The second container 200 includes a bottom 201opposite to the base 101, a first sidewall 203 a and a second sidewall203 b opposite to the first sidewall 203 a. The first sidewall 203 a andthe second sidewall 203 b both couple the bottom 201 and the base 101.The second container 200 can further include another base contacting oroverlapping the base 101. The first sidewall 203 a can be in alignmentwith the first sidewall 103 a of the first container 100. The secondsidewall 203 b can be in alignment with the second sidewall 103 b of thefirst container 100. The second sidewall 203 b can define a second airintake in lower portion thereof. In this embodiment, a third air flowcontrol device 210 is arranged at the second air intake for inputtingand controlling outside air into the second container 200. The third airflow control device 210 can be an electric air flow control device. Adust filter can cover an air intake of the third flow control device210.

In the second container 200, the base 101 forms an air inlet 220communicating with the air exhaust 108 of the first container 100, andan air output window 240 communicating with the air input window 107 ofthe first container 100. In this embodiment, the air inlet 220 can bejust corresponding to and directly communicating with the air exhaust108, the air output window 240 can be just corresponding to and directlycommunicating with the air input window 107. The air exhaust 108 and theair inlet 220 cooperatively define a cooling air passage extendingthrough/in the base 101. The air output window 240 and the air inputwindow 107 cooperatively define a heated air passage extendingthrough/in the base 101.

In the second container 200, a gap can be left between the base 101 anda top of the data racks 230, a second baffle plate 204 is received inthe gap. The second baffle plate 204 depends from the base 101 towardsthe top of the data racks 230. The second baffle plate 204 can be madeof heat insulating material. The second baffle plate 204 and the dataracks 230 substantially divide the second container 200 into a coolingair channel 205 and a heated air channel 206. The cooling air channel205 is located between the second baffle plate 204, the data racks 230and the second sidewall 203 b, and faces air inlets of data equipmentsuch as network exchangers, servers and computers located at the dataracks 230. The cooling air channel 205 communicates with the second airintake of the second sidewall 203 b and the air inlet 220. The heatedair channel 206 is located between the second baffle plate 104, the dataracks 230 and the first sidewall 203 a. The heated air channel 206communicates with the air output window 240 of the base 101.

When the container data center is in operation, the first air flowcontrol device 110 on the first sidewall 103 a of the first container100 inputs and controls outside cooling air into the first room 105 offirst container 100. The first container 100 can provide heated air fromthe second container 200 into the first room 105 via the air inputwindow 107 in the base 101. The outside cooling air and the heated airmeet in the first room 105, which may produce condensation in the firstroom 105, and the condensation are drained outwards by the drainstructure 140. One part of the heated air in the first room 105 isexhausted into ambient air via the exhaust air driving device 120, thesecond air flow control device 170 and the exhaust air duct 180. Onepart of the heated air in the first room 105 and the outside cooling airare mixed to be mixed cooling air by the first air mixing member 130 andare drawn into the second room 106 from the first room 105 of the firstcontainer 100. The mixed cooling air is further mixed by the second airmixing member 160 to be cooling air. The cooling air is drawn by the airdriving device 150 into the air exhaust 108 of the first container 100and enters the cooling air channel 205 via the air inlet 220 in the base101. The third air flow control device 210 at the lower portion of thesecond sidewall 203 b inputs and controls outside cooling air into thecooling air channel 205 of the second container 200. The cooling airfrom the first container 100 and the outside cooling air in the coolingair channel 205 blow to the data equipment at the data racks 230. Thecooling air from the first container 100 and the outside cooling airinput by the third air flow control device 210 can be mixed before theyblow to the data equipment at the data racks 230. When the cooling airpasses the data equipment at the data racks 230, it removes heatgenerated by the data equipment and is heated to be the heated air inthe heated air channel 206. The heated air in the heated air channel 206enters into the first room 105 of the first container 100 via the airoutput window 240 of the second container 200 and the air input window107 of the first container 100. In this embodiment, the outside coolingair, the cooling air and heated air enter into or exit out of the firstcontainer 100 and the container 200 substantially along directions asarrows shown in the FIGURE.

According to this embodiment, in the first container 100, the outsidecooling air and the heated air from the second container 200 is mixed,by this manner, the moisture in the outside cooling air is reduced,which avoids oxidative damage or other adverse impact to the dataequipment and the data racks 230. Additionally, the second container 200further inputs outside cooling air in the cooling air channel 205 tocool the data equipment at the data racks 230, by this manner, a powerusage effectiveness of the container data center is reduced.

Additionally, the outside cooling air can be natural air. When theoutside cooling air is natural air, the data center introduces thenatural air to reduce moisture of the natural air to directly cool thedata equipment at the data racks 230, so the data center can be calledas data center with free cooling system, and cooling cost for the datacenter is lowered, comparing with that for a traditional data center.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages of certain embodiments have been setforth in the foregoing description, together with details of thestructures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially inmatters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principlesof the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad generalmeaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A data center, comprising: a first container, asecond container and a base located between the first container and thesecond container; the first container comprising a ceiling, a firstsidewall, a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, a baffleplate extending upwards from the base, a first room for inputtingoutside cooling air from ambient and heated air from the secondcontainer, a second room separating from the first room for providingcooling air to the second container, a baffle plate, a first air mixingmember for mixing the outside cooling air and the heated air to becooling air, and a second air mixing member configured to further coolthe cooling air; the second container containing data racks forsupporting data equipment, the second container comprising a cooling airchannel and a heated air channel at two opposite sides of the dataracks, the cooling air channel communicating with the second room of thefirst container via the base for inputting the cooling air from thesecond room, the heated air channel communicating with the first roomvia the base for outputting the heated air to the first room, whereinthe first air mixing member is coupled to a ceiling of the firstcontainer, the baffle plate is substantially perpendicularly coupled tothe base, and the first air mixing member and the baffle plate alignedin a straight line that is substantially perpendicular to the base, todivide the first container into the first room and the second room; agap is defined between the ceiling and a top of the baffle plate, andthe first mixing member is vertically positioned in the gap; the firstroom is defined cooperatively by the ceiling, the first sidewall, thebase, the first air mixing member, and the baffle plate, and the secondroom is defined cooperatively by the ceiling, the second sidewall, thebase, the first air mixing member, and the baffle plate; and the secondair mixing member is horizontally located in the second room.
 2. Thedata center of claim 1, wherein the base forms an air input window inthe first room, an air exhaust in the second room, an air inlet in thecooling air channel and an air output window in the heated air channel,the air exhaust communicating with the air inlet in the base, the airinput window communicating with the air output window in the base. 3.The data center of claim 2, wherein the first sidewall of the firstcontainer defines an air intake for inputting the outside cooling airfrom the ambient into the first room and an air outlet for outputtingpart of the heated air from the first room.
 4. The data center of claim3, wherein the second container comprises two opposite sidewalls coupledby the base, the first sidewall and second sidewall of the firstcontainer corresponding to the two opposite sidewalls of the secondcontainer, respectively.
 5. The data center of claim 4, wherein one ofthe two sidewalls of the second container defines an air intake forinputting the outside cooling air from the ambient into the cooling airchannel.
 6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the first containerfurther comprises a drain structure in the first room.
 7. The datacenter of claim 1, wherein the first air mixing member from the ceiling,and the second air mixing member extends from the second sidewalltowards the baffle plate and is below the gap.
 8. The data center ofclaim 2, wherein the first container further comprises an air drivingdevice located in the second room, and the air driving device is alignedwith the air exhaust.
 9. A data center, comprising: a first containercomprising an air intake inputting outside cooling air into the firstcontainer, and the first container further comprising a first air mixingmember and a baffle plate, the first air mixing member configured to mixheated air and the outside cooling air in the first container to becomethe cooling air; the first air mixing device coupled to a ceiling of thefirst container, the baffle plate substantially perpendicularly coupledto a base of the first container, and the first air mixing member andthe baffle plate aligned in a straight line that is substantiallyperpendicular to the base, to divide the first container into a firstroom communicating with the air intake and a second room; a secondcontainer containing data racks therein, the second container contactingthe first container via the base between the first container and thesecond container, the base defining a cooling air passage and a heatedair passage both communicating with the first container and the secondcontainer, the cooling air passage inputting cooling air from the firstcontainer to the second container, the heated air passage inputtingheated air from the second container to the first container; wherein thefirst container further comprises a ceiling, a first sidewall, a secondsidewall opposite to the first sidewall, and a second air mixing memberconfigured to further cool the cooling air; a gap is defined between theceiling and a top of the battle plate, and the first mixing member isvertically positioned in the gap; the first room is definedcooperatively by the ceiling, the first sidewall, the base, the firstair mixing member, and the baffle plate, and the second room is definedcooperatively by the ceiling, the second sidewall, the base, the firstair mixing member, and the baffle plate; and the second air mixingmember is horizontally located in the second room.
 10. The data centerof claim 9, wherein the first air mixing member extends from theceiling, and the second air mixing member extends from the secondsidewall towards the baffle plate and is below the gap.
 11. The datacenter of claim 9, wherein the first container further comprises an airdriving device located in the second room, and the air driving device isaligned with the air exhaust.
 12. The data center of claim 9, whereinthe first container is stacked on the second container.
 13. The datacenter of claim 9, wherein the base forms an air input window and an airexhaust both in the first container, the air input window being spacedfrom the air exhaust, the base further forming an air inlet and an airoutput window in the second container, the air inlet being spaced fromthe air output window, the air exhaust and the air inlet cooperativelydefining the cooling air passage, the air output window and the airinput window cooperatively defining the heated air passage.
 14. The datacenter of claim 9, wherein the second container comprises another baffleplate, the another baffle plate and data racks cooperatively dividingthe second container into a cooling air channel communicating with thesecond room of the first container via the cooling air passage, and aheated air channel communicating with the first room of the firstcontainer via the heated air passage.
 15. The data center of claim 14,wherein the first sidewall defines an air outlet communicating with thefirst room.
 16. The data center of claim 15, wherein the air intake ofthe first container is located between the air outlet and the base. 17.The data center of claim 9, wherein the first container has an air flowcontrol device located at the air intake for inputting and controllingthe outside cooling air into the first room of the first container. 18.The data center of claim 9, wherein the second container defines anotherair intake for inputting outside cooling air together with the coolingair to cool data equipment supported by the data racks in the secondcontainer.